Swimming ponds for families

The Pumpkin Awards are Portugal’s “Oscars” dedicated to family well-being, aiming to recognize all those who make families’ daily lives happier – be they museums, charitable causes, or even restaurants. Basically, all projects and services that contribute to making the lives of parents, children, siblings, grandparents, uncles, and many more special and full of happiness.

In 2025, in the category “Best Family Stay – Rural Hotel and Glamping,” three tourist units with natural swimming pools were among the finalists, two of which were in the top 5. These were Chão do Rio – Turismo de Aldeia in Travancinha, the Vinhais Biological Park, and Casa das Palmeiras in Mangualde. This shows how important biological pools are for families. In them, children can not only learn to swim but also explore direct contact with nature.

These three finalists from the North, along with other tourist accommodations associated on “Holidays with biological pools,” spread throughout the country, are presented here.